Are you new to air fryers or worried about how to use an air fryer? There is no reason to worry!
In this article, we will tell you how to use air fryers, which foods you can cook in air fryers, how to clean air fryers and different techniques of using air fryers. Hopefully, our nifty guide will make you love using an air fryer!
Air fryers are filled with hot air, which makes them a great cooking tool. These are basically small but powerful ovens. These ovens use air to heat food, while deep fryers use oil to heat food.
Air fryers do not cook in the same way as deep fryers. These cook using much less oil than deep fryers. As a result, air fryers are less dirty than deep fryers and food is healthier.
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Before First Use
Setting Up
- Before using the air fryer for the first time, you should remove all the stickers including all the packaging from the air fryer.
- Then put on a stable and heat-resistant surface. Make sure you place the air fryer away from objects and surfaces. This will prevent damage by steam.
- Using the handle of the air fryer, you should take the basket out to remove all the plastic packaging. Separate the inner basket from the outer basket with the help of the basket release button.
- Thoroughly clean both baskets using a dishwasher or non-abrasive sponge. Wipe the inside and outside of the basket with a slightly damp cloth. You can use a dry towel to dry the basket. Then put the basket back in the air fryer.
Test Run of the Air fryer
You should test the air fryer at least once before using it for cooking. This will help you to get familiar with the different functions of your air fryer and verify whether it is working properly. We can test the air fryer as follows:
- Connect the power plug to the air fryer. Make sure the air fryer basket is empty. Then preheat the air fryer for a while. If your air fryer is a multi-function air fryer, you will see a preheat button on the air fryer. Inexpensive small air fryers, usually have analogue control systems. You will have to preheat these manually. Heat for 5 minutes at 400°F to preheat manually.
- The air fryer will beep when the preheating is complete. Then take the basket out of the air fryer and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then put the empty basket back inside the air fryer. Set your desired temperature and time. Now observe if the air fryer is working properly.
- When the cooking time of the air fryer is over, it will automatically shut down and continue to make a ‘beep beep’ sound. Then take out the basket of air fryers with the help of the handle and let it cool for 10 to 30 minutes. If all goes well, your air fryer will be ready for cooking.
Tips for The Air Fryer Basket
- Only take the basket out of the air fryer when cooking and cleaning food. Refrain from taking out the basket frequently.
- The button protector at the handle prevents the user from accidentally pressing the release button. You have to slide the button guard forward to release the basket.
- Never press the basket release button when removing the basket. This is because if you press the release button on the basket while carrying the basket, the basket may fall and cause accidents.
- Simply press the basket release button when you're ready. Make sure you have a stable and heat-resistant surface to place it.
- The handle of the air fryer is not attached to the outer basket, it is attached to the inner basket. As a result, when you press the release button on the basket, your outer basket will drop.
How to Use Your Air fryer
In this section, we will describe to you step-by-step how you can use an air fryer. There are some things to keep in mind before using an air fryer.
Do not place anything on top of the air fryer as it will obstruct the airflow. This may cause the food to not cook perfectly.
Also, keep in mind that an air fryer is not a deep fryer. So, you do not need extra oil while cooking in an air fryer. In fact, extra fatty food should not be cooked in an air fryer.
At the end of cooking, carefully remove the basket. Be mindful of the hot steam released. Always make sure to remove the basket from the air fryer by placing it on a stable and heat-resistant surface.
Step-by-step instruction
- You must preheat the air fryer before starting cooking in the air fryer. This is because when you preheat the air fryer, the food will cook at a higher temperature and give you a crispy exterior. You can preheat multi-function easily by pressing the preheat button. But for cheap small air fryers, you will have to preheat manually. Heat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes to preheat manually.
- When the preheat of the air fryer is complete, take the air fryer basket out of the air fryer and place the food in the basket. However, keep in mind that the basket should not be overloaded with food. Because if you load the basket with extra food, the food may not be cooked properly.
- After filling the air fryer basket with food, insert the basket inside the air fryer. Then, set the appropriate time and temperature for meals. However, you can also change the time and temperature during cooking.
- Press the start button to begin air frying. However, after you start cooking, you need to make sure that the food is not overcooked or burnt. You can mix the food contents in the middle of the cooking process or turn the food upside down to ensure that the food is fully cooked. When the cooking time is over the air fryer will make a beeping sound.
- Then, take out the air fryer basket. But be aware of the hot steam. Separate the inner basket from the outer basket and serve the food. However, when separating the inner basket from the outer basket, keep the basket on a flat surface. The basket must completely cool down before cleaning.
Why we love using an air fryer
The air fryer is like a convection oven. They are small in size, but very effective in cooking food. Apart from frying food, you can also roast, broil and bake food items. However, you cannot use it to make deep-fried food.
This is because deep-frying requires a lot of oil to make food. The air fryer only uses a very small amount of oil to cook. As a result, deep-fried food cannot be prepared in the air fryer.
Go forth and make yourself some fries with guacamole in your new air fryer!
Are you craving more delicious fried food? Check out our Korean cheese corn dog recipe that you can make at home using an air fryer.
